Bouncy handling - suspension problem?

[scientaster]

Hey folks, I recently bought a 2009 E89 35i with Adaptive suspension (listed as Adaptive M Chassis from M Decoder), and the ride is extremely bouncy and unpleasant. The car lurches forward and backward over sizeable bumps and sometimes feels like it bottoms out hard. I'm a bit of a newbie at narrowing down the possible problems and solutions, and wanted to get an extra eyeball on how I can remedy this

My guess is it's suspension related, and at 65k miles I figure the original hardware needs replacement; since it's got the adaptive suspension, I wanted to double check my understanding of what I can do about it:

Options:
1. Take it into the dealer, have them replace suspension all around -- this'd preserve the adaptive suspension feature
2. Buy replacement OEM parts and do it myself, but I'll likely hit a wall around coding / errors unless I greatly expand my expertise with the ECU
3. Swap out to KW / Bilstein / some other aftemarket coilover kit, and spoof the adaptive part of my car through some special hardware

Considering that I've never really felt the car handle bumps when the adaptive suspension is working as expected, is it worth taking it into a bmw shop and having them fix everything up? Or will it be cheaper / better to pursue a coilover kit if I need to rip out all the old hardware anyway?

 

[Marcoose]

Hi. Congrats on your purchase.

Definitely the adaptive suspension should feel smooth. Not Citroēn smooth, but comfortable.

At 65K and 5-6 years, it’s possible some parts are done for. Take it to an indy for a check. If the solution is replacing many OEM parts with OEM parts, then compare with the cost of replacing with KW V3 and M3 parts. See sig below. I've found that my indy’s setup was superior in handling and comfort then the OEM adaptive suspension.

Good luck!

 

[buzyg]

I was expecting this to be about Mercedes F1 car. :lol: :wink:

Welcome to the mad house.

 

[B21]

If you replace the adaptive suspension you simply code out that option and disconnect/remove the adaptive ECU ..simple..

FWIW mine was shite..replaced it with Ohlins..transformational…

You could use Bilstein B8 dampers plus Supplex springs for something almost as good for a 1/3 of the price.

Been down both routes …

 

[scientaster]

Gotcha, thanks folks. Booked an appointment with a local shop to see what I'm up against - thanks for confirming that it's definitely not expected, and that I'm on the right track with fixing it!